Kevin Borg went to Sweden to be with the love of his life and a year later thousands of Scandinavian women were in love with him. One album and over 50 concerts later, Patrick Cooke meets Sweden's Pop Idol winner.

Eight months have passed since a precocious singer from Floriana with an impish grin defeated 8,000 entrants to be crowned Sweden's Pop Idol in front 1.7 million TV viewers.

Only 20 months have passed since that same wide-eyed young man left his homeland to join the love of his life in the frozen north of Sweden.

Kevin Borg, 23, is testament to the good that can come from following your heart. Arriving in the nondescript town of Arvidsjaur in December 2007 with only the love of his Swedish girlfriend Sofia to distract him from the arctic chill, the former Malta Song for Europe hopeful was more concerned about learning Swedish and finding a job than becoming famous.

Yet on a scorching summer's day last Thursday, Mr Borg touched down on the searing tarmac at Luqa Airport as a fully fledged pop star flanked by his own entourage, ahead of his first concerts in his homeland since he signed a record deal with Sony BMG. Dressed in a black vest and with a slick hairstyle, he looked the part.

It is a remarkable success story that owes a lot to the support of his girlfriend, who has accompanied him on his homecoming trip.

Mr Borg met Sofia while singing at a Buġibba Hotel and despite showing obvious signs of talent when he twice competed in the Malta Song for Europe contest, it seemed that Mr Borg, like many other talented Maltese performers, was destined to entertain tourists and sing mainly for the joy of it, perhaps gaining a credible reputation locally but nothing more.

When he took the leap of faith and moved to Sweden, his girlfriend pushed him to enter the popular Idol competition, despite him knowing hardly any Swedish initially.

The rest is history; as he won over a nation with his energetic performances, rich singing voice and Swedish accent that "can melt the hardest Viking heart," according to journalist Kalle Holmberg. He was especially showered with praise for his rousing rendition of Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer.

The competition is based on the original UK Pop Idol format that has spawned numerous versions around the world, including the hugely successful American Idol.

In essence, contestants must impress the judging panel in a series of auditions until only a small number of entrants remain. These singers then perform weekly in front of the cameras for the judges and studio audience, and are gradually eliminated by the public and the judging panel until only two remain to compete in the live final.

The format and popularity of the show means that well-liked contestants go from being anonymous members of the public to red hot celebrities in a very short space of time.

As I sit down with Borg after his airport press conference, I am keen to know how his sudden fame had affected him. I had never met him before, but I spoke with him via telephone the day after he was declared Sweden's Pop Idol and his enthusiasm back then was contagious.

Despite a dodgy phone line and the icy presence of a Scandinavian Sony PR guru that I could detect in the background, Borg was content to jabber away excitedly about the endless possibilities that the future held.

Eight months on, Borg suggests that the surrealism of pop stardom has become normal for him.

"I have so many people that I tour with and that I love the company of, and that makes me feel like I'm a normal person. I don't want to feel like I'm a god or something. I'm not a god, I want to feel like a normal person," he says.

His enthusiasm is still contagious and gives the impression he is enjoying the adventure. So after establishing that he lacks divine powers, does he still feel like the same Kevin Borg who left Malta?

"Yes, of course. I think professionalism comes into it because I've been working with so many producers (including producers that have worked with) Britney Spears, Madonna, Westlife... so that makes me more professional in my work. But it doesn't make me go into the streets and say 'look at me'... I'm not like that."

His answers so far haven't really addressed the questions in the candid way I had hoped. He seems to be giving standard responses that he has used countless times before, which is understandable considering he has been living in the full glare of the media spotlight for the past eight months.

But while his answers are unremarkable, his accent is notable. He says 'Britney Spears' like an American, but 'Madonna' like a Furjaniż. Several times throughout the interview, his accent is reminiscent of Michael Jackson, but this could be due to the confusion of juggling three languages in his head.

So is there a downside to all the attention he has been receiving for the past year?

"I don't mind it. I chose this job so I have to thank all the people around me - like my girlfriend - who have so much patience. I think sometimes you have to tell people, for example, if you are having a romantic dinner somewhere and someone comes to get you to sign something, you have to tell them 'I'm sorry but I'm trying to have a romantic dinner with my girlfriend here, you're more than welcome to come to my tour...' but you don't have to be mean."

Life for him and his girlfriend has changed dramatically since he won the competition, but their relationship seems to be as solid as ever. They sat side-by-side at the press conference before the interview, during which Mr Borg described her as "everything I could ask for". How does she handle the attention he gets from female fans?

"She's OK. We met in Malta and knew me before I was famous, so she knows me very well," he says confidently.

Since winning Idol, Mr Borg has recorded and released his debut album The Beginning, played over 50 concerts on his tour and released two singles, the first of which - With Every Bit of Me - went in at number one in the Swedish charts.

After signing a record contract with Sony BMG, he admits that life became very structured for him, but insists "it's something you get used to and it's something I got used to without really knowing. I went to Sweden not knowing I was going to sing. I went to Sweden for my girlfriend and I think I was there at the right time and the right place and what happened, happened, and I'm really happy."

He seems well-adjusted, but is there anything he misses about his old life in Malta? He thinks for a moment then breaks into a trademark grin: "My laziness, I used to sleep until the afternoon," he jokes.

"When I start thinking about Malta, and Floriana, which is a place I love, and I start thinking about the nice things that I've been through in all my life...", his voice trails off momentarily before he adds "time goes by so fast - I've been living in Sweden for almost two years now."

Time stops for no one, he seems to be saying, and few can doubt that Borg has made the most of the time he has been out of Malta. He had dreamed of being a singer for many years and now that dream has come true. But has the dream lived up to expectations?

"Yes, and it's very much living up to expectations now. I've been doing so many TV programmes for example... and I'm going to do High School Musical as well."

He explains that he was approached by Disney to play the lead role of Troy Bolton in the popular musical at Stockholm's Göta Lejon theatre, starting on September 27.

In fact, when he returns to Sweden tomorrow he will be taken almost immediately to rehearsals. But this is not a break from his solo career, he insists, because he will have free time during the week to work on songs for his next album.

He also sees nothing strange in a young solo singer accepting a part in a musical at the beginning of a fledgling career. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to "grow" as an artist.

Since he is already talking about a second album, I'm curious to know how he found the recording process. His response is endearing but a little MTV-esque: "It took a lot of energy from me. But it took a lot of good energy from me because I took all my good energy out to make this album."

He goes on to explain that he loves to be in the studio with the producers working on songs and trying to produce something himself. In fact, he wrote two songs on the album - Paint It Black and More Than I Do Now - despite having limited time to do so, and he plans to contribute even more on the next album.

The conversation flows freely as he speaks about his favourite song on the album (The Last Words dance version), the most energetic (Paint It Black), the biggest crowd he has performed for (15,000 to 18,000 in Gothenburg) and his backing band ("They're great, and recently they have been in Ireland playing for the Pussycat Dolls.")

Then all of sudden, the conversation switches to the Queen of Sweden. How predictable. It transpires that Borg had performed for the Queen at a charity fundraising concert for the World Childhood Foundation, which was "cool". In fact, Borg has met the Queen twice, and describes her as "so nice" and "very down to earth with the people".

With the Queen among his fans in Sweden, I ask if he has toured or enjoyed success in any other countries. He says that Finland is the only other country he has performed in apart from Sweden and Malta so far, but he laughs about a video on Youtube showing a crowd of young revellers dancing to With Every Bit of Me at a festival in an unknown Asian country.

There are also fans from Bali in one Kevin Borg Facebook group that have left messages begging him to tour their island, so it seems his reputation is spreading.

Although he did not move to Sweden seeking fame, he happened to find it there. While he enjoyed limited recognition in Malta for his singing ability, it seemed unlikely he would forge a lucrative career in the business if he remained.

So does he think it is possible for local singers to remain in Malta and enjoy successful careers? His response gives the impression he does not.

"Never give up - that's my motto. If there is an artist who wants success abroad then why not? Try your luck, never give up."

He uses himself as an example, saying that anyone moving to another country where they cannot speak the language needs to understand how difficult it can be, but the sacrifice and hard work can be worth it in the end.

Of course, one vehicle for Maltese singers to gain international recognition is through the Eurovision Song Contest, something Borg unsuccessfully vied for twice.

Eurovision is something of a national obsession in Malta, so naturally people are curious about whether he intends to participate again now he has built a reputation elsewhere.

There has been speculation in Sweden that Mr Borg will be entering Melodifestivalen 2010, the Swedish selection for Eurovision. If this is true, it will leave the way free for undiscovered Maltese talent to have their shot at fame, but it will also disappoint Maltese Eurovision fans who would love to see Mr Borg win Eurovision for his homeland.

The young star hints that he may be planning a career move that will not be popular with everybody when I ask him what the next step is after High School Musical.

"There are more things coming that I can't really talk about now because a lot people might be angry with me. But I'm writing a lot of songs and also focusing on learning the manuscript for High School Musical. Then when I'm more relaxed and it starts, I will be working with the producers (on his new album)."

So does he have any plans to enter Eurovision for Malta or Sweden? He looks uncomfortable with the question, as does a member of his entourage.

"I've heard this one so many times, because Eurovision is coming. I don't like to say something when I'm not sure of the answer... I don't know what to say! When I do something I just want to focus on that, and the main thing right now is High School Musical. I think it's better if it comes as a surprise to the people."

With members of the entourage lurking behind and checking their watches, there is time for one final question. Where does he see himself in five years time?

"I think it's better to think day by day right now, because so many things are coming day after day, if things keep going this well, then very good."

And with that, we shake hands and Sweden's Maltese Idol is whisked away to his hotel by a member of his team. It cannot be easy to adjust to overnight stardom and the glare of the media spotlight, but Borg has made it look effortless.

I began the interview wondering if he had lost any of his enthusiasm after a gruelling eight months on the road, but I left with the impression that he cannot wait for the journey ahead.

Kevin Borg will be performing at the Splash and Fun Park tonight from 8.30 p.m. For tickets call 2137 4283, 2737 4283 or 7937 4283.

Watch excerpts of the interview on timesofmalta.com.